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Studies Indicate GM Crops Are Safer and Healthier
By L. Andrew Staehelin, Ph.D., and David A. Christopher, Ph.D.
Organic foods are often considered the "gold standard" of safety and healthfulness to which all other foods should aspire. This carefully crafted perception is used by the organic food industry to justify the higher price of organic produce. This industry has also campaigned against genetically-modified crops, using terms like "Frankenfoods" -- claiming that they are unnatural creations of technology, dangerous for human health and bad for the environment.
An increasing number of scientific studies have established that these claims have little merit and that GM foods are actually better.
Organic Cancer Risks
For example, Bt-type GM corn, which resists insect infestation, has been demonstrated to be safer for people than traditionally and organically grown corn. Bt-corn has been discovered to contain on average 900% less cancer-causing mycotoxins than the non-GM corn varieties grown by organic and traditional farmers.
Pathogenic fungi, such as Fusarium molds, make mycotoxins when they infect grain crops. In laboratory experiments, the fungal mycotoxins cause a variety of cancers (brain, liver, kidney) and other illnesses. In 1989, high levels of mycotoxins in the U.S. corn crop resulted in large-scale field outbreaks of brain tumors in horses and lethal lung edemas in pigs. The most recent research has found truly dangerous levels of fumonisin-type mycotoxins in organic corn products, and fumonisins have now also been shown to produce spina bifida birth defects in humans and liver toxicity in mice and humans. Sadly, most food processing treatments do not reduce the toxic affect. Fusarium-derived mycotoxins have been found in food products as diverse as corn flakes and beer.
Three large international studies have reported on the mycotoxin content of hundreds of corn samples collected in eighteen countries. In one study, the average content of just one type of mycotoxin in non-GM corn samples was about 12 micrograms per gram of seed, whereas the content in GM corn samples was only 1.3 micrograms per gram of seed.
Why does Bt-corn contain far lower levels of mycotoxins? Fusarium molds primarily enter corn plants through holes and tunnels produced by insects known as corn borers. Higher corn borer infection rates lead to greater potential for fungal infections. Because Bt-corn is equipped to fight corn borers directly, corn borers that attack Bt-plants are quickly killed and do not replicate and bore significant holes, which means fewer Fusarium infections and lower mycotoxin production.
GM Crops Gradually, and Quite Justifiably, Becoming More Common
Close to 10 million farmers around the world plant GM crops and nearly three quarters of them are in developing countries. The advantage of GM crops for resource-poor farmers is illustrated by a study of Bt-cotton-growing farmers in the Lang Fang Prefecture in Hebei, China. During the five years in which they have grown Bt-cotton, their incomes have risen 30% due to spending less on pesticides. Their health and the health of their families have improved due to the reduced exposure to pesticides. Finally, the quality of their drinking water has improved due to the decreased contamination of their wells from pesticide runoff.
Despite highly publicized attacks by anti-GM crop activists, GM crops are being grown at an increasing rate. Over 10 million farmers worldwide are now using GM seeds, and the amount of land that has been planted with GM seeds is significantly higher than 1 billion acres. GM crops can produce safer and more nutritious foods, can decrease the use of pesticides and thereby help the environment, and can help farmers around the world lead prosperous and healthier lives.
If consumers truly seek a safer, more nutritious food supply at a reasonable cost, they need to know where the real threats lie. Organic attacks on Bt-corn is one threat. Consumers must also become better informed, demand public policy that makes sense, and deny fringe anti-technology activists the opportunity to use misinformation to persuade consumers.
Given the real safety issues, perhaps it is time for the organic food industry to begin thinking about growing GM crops on organic farms and to institute policies to allow GM-derived foods to be sold in organic food stores.
Print References
Bushman, F. (2002) Lateral DNA Transfer -- Mechanisms and Consequences. Cold Spring Harbor Press, New York. ISBN 0-87969-621-4.
Dowd, P. F., Pingel, R. L., Ruhl, D., Shasha, B. S., Behel, R. W., Penland, D. R., McGuire, M. R., Faron, E. J. 2000. Multiacreage evaluation of aerially applied adherent malathion granules for selective insect control and indirect reduction of mycotoxigenic fungi in specialty corn. Journal of Economic Entomology 93(5)1424-1428.
Folmer, J. D., Grant R. J., Milton C. T., J.F. Beck. 2000. Effect of Bt corn silage on short-term lactational performance and ruminal fermentation in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 83 (5):1182 Abstract 272.
Groves, F. D., Zhang, L., Chang, Y. S., Ross, P. F., Casper, H., Norred, W. P., You, W. C., Fraumeni J. F. Jr. 1999. Fusarium mycotoxins in corn and corn products in a high-risk area for gastric cancer in Shandong Province, China. Journal of AOAC International 82(3):657-662.
Hendrix, K. S.; Petty, A. T., Lofgren D. L. 2000. Feeding value of whole plant silage and crop residues from Bt or normal corns. Journal of Animal Sciences 78(Suppl.1):273 Abstract 1146.
Masoero, F., Moschini, M., Rossi, F., Prandini, A., Pietri, A. 1999. Nutritive value, mycotoxin contamination and in vitro rumen fermentation of normal and genetically modified corn (Cry1A9b) grown in northern Italy. Maydica 44:205-209.
Minorsky, P. N. 2002. Fumonisin mycotoxins. Plant Physiology 129:929-930.
Munkvold, G. P., Hellmich, R. L., Showers, W. B. 1997. Reduced fusarium ear rot and symptomless infection in kernels of maize genetically engineered for European corn borer resistance. Phytopathology 87:1071-1077.
Munkvold, G. P., Hellmich, R. L., Rice, L. G. 1999. Comparison of fumonisin concentrations in kernels of transgenic Bt maize hybrids and non-transgenic hybrids. Plant Disease 83:130-138.
Russell, J. R., Berryman, R. K., Hersom, M. J., Pugh, A., Barrett, K. 2000. Nutritive value of the crop residues from Bt-corn hybrids and their effects on performance of grazing beef cows. 2000 Beef Research Report -- Iowa State University. Pp. 56-61.
Voss, K.A., et al. 2006. Toxic Effects of Fumonisin in Mouse Liver Are Independent of the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor. Toxicological Sciences 89(1):108-119.
Online References
http://www.hoover.org/publications/policyreview/3402146.html
http://www.agbioforum.org/v5n4/v5n4a04-huang.htm
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id121/id121.htm
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/Mycotoxins.htm
http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/causes6.html
http://www.foodsafetynetwork.ca/
www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v24/n1/full/nbt1180.html
L. Andrew Staehelin is a Professor Emeritus of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology at University of Colorado -- Boulder. David A. Christopher is Professor of Molecular Biosciences and Vice-chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee at the University of Hawaii -- Manoa.
Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA (June 4, 2007)
So mycotoxins are the only relevant issue now?
Thank goodness that pesticide residue, unexplained gene expression, water table pollution, monocropping, fewer essential minerals and more heavy metals, less nutritional content, etc. are no longer issues that we should be concerned about!
So, if you believe that only mycotoxins matter, pay no attention to these references:
WORLD HUNGER:
UNITED NATIONS: THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
http://www.wfp.org/aboutwfp/introduction/hunger_causes.asp?section=1&sub_section=1
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/89259/index.htmlhttp://www.fao.org/DOCREP/FIELD/006/AD690E/AD690E00.HTM
FAO: 'Agricultural production could probably meet expected demand until 2030 even without major advances in modern biotechnology.' " (The New Scientist, by Debora MacKenzie, March 4, 2003.)
EXPERT CAUTIONS:
USA TODAY/REUTERS report on European attitudes toward GMOs:
http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/~steggall/10Jan-18May2000.html
More on European distrust of government food regulations based on mishandling of other food crises: New Scientist, "Young, not Mad", July 8, 2000, p.5.
The editors of the respected UK medical journal The Lancet have strongly criticized the presumption that GE foods entail no greater risks of unexpected effects. They stated there are "good reasons to believe that specific risks may exist" and that "governments should never have allowed these products into the food chain without insisting on rigorous testing for effects on health." Vol. 353, No. 9167, p. 1811 (May 29, 1999).
The January 2001 report of the expert panel of the Royal Society of Canada states that (a) it is "scientifically unjustifiable" to presume that GE foods are safe and (b) the "default presumption" for every GE food should be that the genetic alteration has induced unintended and potentially hazardous side effects. The Royal Society of Canada: Expert Panel on the Future of Food Biotechnology: Elements of Precaution: Recommendations for the Regulation of Food Biotechnology in Canada
www.rsc.ca/foodbiotechnology/indexEN.html
and
http://www.rsc.ca//files/publications/expert_panels/foodbiotechnology/GMreportEN.pdf
DO GMO CROPS LOWER CHEMICAL USE?
Herbicides lose effectiveness only 2-3 years after planting herbicide-resistant biotech crops:'Resistance is useless', New Scientist, 19 February 2000, p. .21.
Extensive evidence shows that farmers who plant crops that are genetically engineered to resist the herbicide Roundup are now applying more of it to their fields. (Dr. Charles Benbrook, Pesticide Outlook, October 2001, Pages 204-207.)
NUTRIENT DIFFERENCES IN GMOS:
Lappe MA, Bailey EB, Childress C, Setchell C. Alterations in clinically important phytoestrogens in genetically modified herbicide-tolerant soybeans. J Medic Food 1999; 1: 241-43.
The Monsanto analyses of glyphosate-resistant soya showed that the GM-line contained about 28% more Kunitz trypsin inhibitor, a known antinutrient and allergen: "GM Food Debate" Letters re: the Pusztai and Ewen publication, The Lancet. Volume 354, Number 9191. November 13, 1998
Recent investigation by scientists at Japan's Nagoya University reveals that Monsanto's data on the "Roundup Ready" soybean actually shows important differences between it and its conventional counterpart. For instance, after heat processing of both the GE and non-GE beans, the concentrations of three harmful substances were significantly higher in the GE samples.(Technology and Human Beings, Nov.2000, p24-33)
CROP YIELD AND QUALITY:
A dramatic increase in root-knot nematode susceptibility was seen in the transgenic cultivar:Patrick D. Colyer,* Terrence L. Kirkpatrick, W. David Caldwell, and Philip R. Vernon. Plant Pathology and Nematology: Root-Knot Nematode Reproduction and Root Galling Severity on Related Conventional and Transgenic Cotton Cultivars. The Journal of Cotton Science 4:232-236 (2000)
Anthan, George. “Genetic Changes Affect More Than Yield.” Des Moines Register. June 18, 2000.
The Independent, London, June 11/ Geoffrey Lean
Elmore et al, "Glyphosate-Resistant Soybean Cultivar Yields Compared with Sister Lines", Agron J 2001 93: 408-412
Evidence of the Magnitude and Consequences of the Roundup Ready Soybean Yield Drag from University-Based Varietal Trials in 1998. By Dr. Charles Benbrook, Benbrook Consulting Services, Sandpoint, Idaho
http://www.biotech-info.net/RR_yield_drag_98.pdf
UNRESOLVED SAFETY ISSUES:
Playing God in the Garden' by Michael Pollan The New York Times Sunday Magazine (October 25th 1998). http://www.organics.org/features/god_garden.htm
Genetically modified foods & health: a second interim statement. British Medical Association Board of Science and Education. March 2004 http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/GMFoods
Ho MW, Ryan A and Cummins J. Cauliflower mosaic viral promoter – a recipe for Disaster? Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 1999 11, 194-7.
Ho MW, Ryan A and Cummins J. Hazards of transgenic plants with the cauliflower mosaic viral promoter. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 2000, 12, 6-11.
"Astonishing denial of transgenic contamination" by Mae-Wan Ho, Science in Society 2002, 15, 13-14.
Netherwood T, Martin-Orue SM, O'Donnell AG, Gockling S, Gilbert HJ and Mathers JC. Transgenes in genetically modified Soya survive passage through the small bowel but are completely degraded in the colon. Technical report on the Food Standards Agency project G010008 "Evaluating the risks associated with using GMOs in human foods"- University of Newcastle.
Doerfler, W. and Schubbert, R. (1998). Uptake of foreign DNA from the environment: the gastroinestinal tract and the placenta as portals of entry, Wien Klin Wochenschr. 110, 40-44.p. 40.
Ferguson GC and Heinemann JA. Recent history of trans-kingdom conjugation. In Horizontal Gene Transfer 2nd ed. (ed. M Syvanen & CI Kado), pp 3-17, Academic Press, San Diego, 2002.
UK Food Standards Agency: GM crop DNA found in human gut bugs
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/rowett1.pdf
Cellini F, Chesson A, Colquhoun I, Constable A, Davies HV, Engel KH, Gatehouse AM, Karenlampi S, Kok EJ, Leguay JJ, Lehesranta S, Noteborn HP, Pedersen J, Smith M. Unintended effects and their detection in genetically modified crops. Food Chem Toxicol. 2004 Jul;42(7):1089-125. Review. PMID: 15123383
Taylor SL, Hefle SL. Will genetically modified foods be allergenic? J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001 May;107(5):765-71. Review. PMID: 11344340
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS:
Herbicide tolerance can spread from biotech crops to weeds:Sample, Ian, "Modified crops could corrupt weedy cousins", New Scientist, 15 July 2000, p.6.
Calif. county voters ban biotech crops, animals. The Associated Press
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4438280/
Vacher C, Weis AE, Hermann D, Kossler T, Young C, Hochberg ME. Impact of ecological factors on the initial invasion of Bt transgenes into wild populations of birdseed rape (Brassica rapa). Theor Appl Genet. 2004 Aug;109(4):806-14. Epub 2004 May 5. PMID: 15340690
Haygood R, Ives AR, Andow DA. Consequences of recurrent gene flow from crops to wild relatives.Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Sep 22;270(1527):1879-86. PMID: 14561300
Gepts P, Papa R. Possible effects of (trans)gene flow from crops on the genetic diversity from landraces and wild relatives. Environ Biosafety Res. 2003 Apr-Jun;2(2):89-103. PMID: 15612275
Arnaud JF, Viard F, Delescluse M, Cuguen J. Evidence for gene flow via seed dispersal from crop to wild relatives in Beta vulgaris (Chenopodiaceae): consequences for the release of genetically modified crop species with weedy lineages. Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Aug 7;270(1524):1565-71. PMID: 12908976
Spencer LJ, Snow AA. Fecundity of transgenic wild-crop hybrids of Cucurbita pepo (Cucurbitaceae): implications for crop-to-wild gene flow. Heredity. 2001 Jun;86(Pt 6):694-702. PMID: 11595050
Ellstrand NC. Current knowledge of gene flow in plants: implications for transgene flow. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2003 Jun 29;358(1434):1163-70. Review. PMID: 12831483
Jenczewski E, Ronfort J, Chevre AM. Crop-to-wild gene flow, introgression and possible fitness effects of transgenes. Environ Biosafety Res. 2003 Jan-Mar;2(1):9-24. Review. PMID: 15615064
Gressel J. Tandem constructs: preventing the rise of superweeds. Trends Biotechnol. 1999 Sep;17(9):361-6. Review. PMID: 10461182
Dunfield KE, Germida JJ. Impact of genetically modified crops on soil- and plant-associated microbial communities. J Environ Qual. 2004 May-Jun;33(3):806-15. Review. PMID: 15224914
Giovannetti M. The ecological risks of transgenic plants. Riv Biol. 2003 May-Aug;96(2):207-23. Review. PMID: 14595899
ETHICAL CONCERNS & MISC. DANGERS:
The USDA co-owned the original patent on Terminator genes:http://www.nal.usda.gov/bic/monsan~1.htm
USDA regulations on introducing new biotech crops:http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/notgen.html
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